How Do You Say 'Mark It, Dude' In Swiss?

One thing is for certain: there's nothing eco-friendly about travel by airline. Aircraft engines sputter huge amounts of pollutants while in the air. Another certainty is that our skies are only becoming more and more congested with these noisy, fuming creatures. To remedy this problem, the governments of the U.S. and Europe have considered various measures for curbing airline pollution, such as taxes, emission standards, etc. But really, as more airlines take flight everyday, it's unlikely that these measures will make any long-term positive impact.

This is where Solar Impulse comes onto the scene. As of yesterday morning, the first night flight by a solar-powered aircraft was completed. Solar Impulse's HB-SIA aircraft lifted off the previous morning in Switzerland, spent the day charging its batteries at high altitude, and then spent the night running solely on those batteries thanks to the four electric engines that propel the craft. After 26 hours of flight, the HB-SIA returned to its home airfield and landed.

The plane itself is really quite simple. Essentially, it is a lightweight glider with an immense wingspan fitted with four electric propeller engines. The top of the extra-wide wing is covered with thousands of solar cells, which charge the polymer lithium batteries. And dangling from underneath the expanse of wing is a small cockpit that holds only one pilot. After its first successful night flight, the Solar Impulse team's next challenges include a trans-Atlantic flight and a round-the-world flight, both slated to be attempted within the next 3 years.

It should be noted that the power required to keep a large airliner packed with travelers in the sky is quite immense, so don't expect to see a fleet of solar-powered Boeing 747s anytime soon. But it is reasonable to think of this flight as a rather large leap in that direction. After all, it wasn't really all that long ago that sustained passenger flight was considered impossible even with conventional aircraft (Lindbergh's solo flight across the Atlantic took place just over 83 years ago). If you want to hear my prediction (which I know you don't because it means absolutely nothing...I'm not an expert in aviation or renewable energy), I'd be willing to bet that I will fly on a solar-powered aircraft in my lifetime.

So there.